Miami Dolphins' 10 All-Time Best Third-Round Draft Choices

In honor of the trade that sent Brandon Marshall away for two third-round draft selections and with the 2012 NFL draft looming, it only seems appropriate to look at the Dolphins' all-time best third-round choices.

Prior to the 2000s, the Dolphins had great luck finding meaningful talent throughout the draft. Long-standing coaching eras brought stability to the roster with important role players and hidden gems turned stars.

Channing Crowder

No player in Miami's recent history had more entertaining things to say than Crowder.

London, anyone?

How about the spitting incident?

Crowder always created talked-about entertainment with his words rather than his play. You never really knew what he was going to say next.

His on-the-field production was about what you'd expect from a third-round draft section. It was average.

Other linebackers on the team were always out-producing him, and he was just serviceable on a team, filtering through the always-changing coaching eras. (Ultimately, he'd be filtered out too.)

Since his years with the Dolphins were the organization's most forgettable ones, he never played in anything worth gloating about.

His most relevant game with the Dolphins was the historic game in London, which marked the first time an NFL game was played outside of North America.

It's also the game that sparked Crowder's famous, previously-referenced rant on the subject. His quote could become even more referenced if the NFL expansion does eventually head to Europe, which will haunt this team for years.

Abdul-Karim AL-Jabbar

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Pick: He was 80th overall in 1996.

Okay, admitted, Crowder was a silly pick, but, all joking aside, al-Jabbar deserves to be here.

In less than four years, Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar made his presence felt with this organization. His first year gave the Dolphins and their fans hope Dan Marino would finally get the run game needed to put this offense over the top.

In his rookie season, he rushed for well over a 1,000 yards and helped this offense boost the team's rush average from 94 yards-per-game in 1995 to 101 in 1996.

In 1997, he and Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos led the league in rushing touchdowns with 15.

Unfortunately for Miami, his presence became less apparent after that, and the team would eventually trade him away.

This third-round draft pick spent less than four seasons with the Dolphins and still managed to leave an imprint on this historic franchise.

He ranks top 15 all time in team scoring and is top 10 all time in team rushing.

Tim Foley

Foley played cornerback for Miami during the years of the "No-Name Defense" in the early 1970s.

Like most guys in that unit and as the nickname suggests, this third-round pick wasn't a highlighted name on the defense, but he played a vital role in the team's success.

Foley's numbers don't exactly indicate great value or ability. They're more the result of a system that let him gamble more and sometimes miss out on the solid, safe play.

During his years at corner in the early 1970s, he helped this team to three Super Bowl appearances, which includes two wins and an undefeated season.

His later years saw a boost in his stats, when he moved to the safety position. The same system that turned Jake Scott and Dick Anderson into a presence started having the same result for him, and after the change, he would go to his one and only Pro Bowl in 1979.

Duriel Harris

Harris was one of many receiver options for the Dolphins through the late 70s and early 80s.

Throughout most of this era, the Dolphins were a run-heavy team with a pecking order at receiver, so his stats suffered quite a bit.

His role in the pass attack was as the deep threat. He would often help stretch the field and open things up underneath for players like Tony Nathan and others.

Regardless, Harris made himself plenty useful in the passing game next to the likes of Nat Moore and Mark Duper. This third-round pick managed to climb into Miami's top 10 in receptions and receiving yards.

He was also an important piece to one of the Dolphins' most historic plays, as he was the "hook" that made the "lateral" in the famous play of the 1982 AFC divisional game.

Mercury Morris

Before becoming the recent face of the undefeated season, Morris was a running back and special teams player for the Dolphins throughout the 1970s.

He was a major contributor to Miami's special teams, especially early in his career. For Miami, he presently ranks third in kick return yards and is the only player to score three-plus touchdowns on kick returns.

In his seven years with the Dolphins, this third-round pick also accumulated enough yards to rank fourth among Miami's rushing leaders.

Morris spent much of his time in Miami playing behind Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, but despite that, he still managed to get to three Pro Bowls.

In 1972, he and Csonka made history by being the first rushing duo on the same team to each gain 1,000-plus yards in the same season. Miami's rush offense was first in the league that year and was an essential piece to their undefeated season.

Tony Nathan

This third-rounder was particularly dangerous in the passing game and actually has more career receiving yards than rushing.

For Miami, the nine-year running back ranks sixth all-time in team rushing yards and seventh all-time in team receiving yards. He also played in two Super Bowls and was instrumental in Miami's AFC Championship wins in the 1980s.

Nathan was on the receiving end of the previously mentioned "hook and lateral play." Harris (like previously mentioned) made the lateral, and Nathan made the play that turned this game into one of the best in Dolphins' history.

Dick Anderson

Anderson spent 10 memorable, historically-relevant years with the Miami Dolphins, and this third-round draft pick managed to be a key player on one of the NFL's best defenses—the "No-Name Defense."

Anderson played safety in a defensive system that was predicated on teamwork and support.

As a safety, he and Jake Scott became the ultimate safety net for cornerbacks and were allowed to be bolder with their playing style.

In his 10 years, Anderson left his stamp on the organization. He has the second most career interceptions in Miami history, has been to three Pro Bowls and was a Super Bowl champion twice in 1973 and 1974.

He's also responsible for one of the Dolphins' most historic wins—the 1971 AFC Championship Game.

In that game, Anderson had three interceptions, which included a 62-yard return for a touchdown and helped shutout the BaltimoreColts, sending Miami to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.